By Brian Stevens | Engagement Director
All 160 Families Have Savings Accounts, Thanks to Supporters Like You
Your generous support for families in Beyond Borders' Family Sponsorship Program is changing everything for them, and I can't thank you enough for it!
They are beginning to earn a living and are on the road to financial independence, thanks to you and your generosity.
That's because your sponsorship is making a series of key financial interventions possible that collectively will ensure that families can earn a dignified living and provide for themselves long after they graduate.
In addition to the livestock and goods to start a small business that your support makes possible for families, all 160 families in the current cohort of the program now have a savings account in their local Village Savings and Loan.
This milestone is a key part of their journey to financial independence -- and it's made possible by you and supporters like you. Thank you!
Village Savings and Loans empower families to save for the future. S&Ls also provide access to funds that families can borrow to expand their small business or get much-needed emergency funds in times of crisis. S&L members are trained by Beyond Borders in financial transparency and accountability, and leaders are elected by members of each Village Savings and Loan.
Families also get regular training in how to manage their new businesses, along with weekly cash stipends at the start of the 24-month program to help them stabilize their household income and focus on developing their earning and saving capacity.
I'm so grateful for all that you make possible for families through your generous support. Thank you again for your generosity and your solidarity as families work to overcome extreme poverty, gain financial independence, and transform their lives for good!
It's No Exaggeration: Your Generosity is Changing Everything for Families
It can sometimes be hard to convey the depth of transformation that families in our Family Graduation Program experience. It's no exaggeration when I say that your generous support will change everything for these families.
Recently, I read a powerful and moving testimony from Monrose, 54, the mother of one of the 110 families who graduated in July 2023. The moment I read it, I knew I wanted to share it with you. In Monrose's story, you'll see how life-changing support like yours can be for families like her’s.
Here is Monrose, who lives in the village of Titans on Lagonav Island, in her own words:
Life was always difficult for me. My father and stepmother sent her four children to school, but I had to stay home and do all the chores. I have five children of my own. I used to avoid coming in contact with any neighbors so that no one would know how we were living. There were many days that our only meal was vines from the woods boiled with a little sugar cane. But some days I didn’t even have enough money to buy a bucket of water. One year, I sold the shelter I had built so that I could send the children to school. Then I really had nothing.
When I joined the Family Graduation Program, the first thing I did was use my stipend to buy moonshine to add flavors and then sell it for a profit. The other women encouraged me to try even though moonshine doesn’t sell well in other areas. It sold well. My caseworker Girlande showed me how to put some of the money into savings. She also showed me how to write my name so that I could sign.
Before I started in the program, I was always hungry. I’m not hungry anymore. You can see the meat on my bones. Now my children and I sleep in my house where it’s dry inside. I have a business and lots of goats. If I need to pay a large bill, I can sell a goat and there will be more.
My house feels so big, it’s like a church. This year with the drought it was difficult to keep the garden watered, but I will plant again. I live right here in the middle of three busy paths. I don’t hide anymore! I chat with passersby. In the program we learned how to stand tall. I am proud of my situation even if it took me 50 years to get here. Sometimes I even have something to share.
Now I can count on myself. Life is still hard, but I only take steps forward. There are many other people around here that are in the same situation that I was in. I pray that each one of them can receive a boost like I did! ~ Monrose
I'm so grateful for all that you are making possible for families through your generous support.
Your generosity and your solidarity will empower them to overcome extreme poverty, gain financial independence, and transform their lives for good, just like Monrose and her family did.
Your Generous Support Keeps Kids Healthy
One of the ways that supporters like you are making a difference for families is by helping parents keep their children healthy and well-nourished.
That's because your generous support makes it possible to conduct baseline health screenings when families join the program. These screenings -- conducted by the Family Graduation Program's project nurse -- identify any children suffering from malnutrition.
The program nurse looks for children who are lethargic, show signs of dehydration, or are covered with a rash. Children suspected of being severely malnourished are referred to the island's only hospital where they can get treated by a doctor. Those with less severe cases are given fortified milk or ready-to-use therapeutic food to help them overcome their malnutrition.
Children continue to receive therapeutic food, fortified milk, and follow-up visits from the project nurse until they have fully recovered. It's this kind of care, concern, and close accompaniment that supporters like you make possible for children and their families.
Thank you for helping to keep children healthy!
Your Support Provides Real Stability During Haiti's Crisis
You are making all the difference for families in the Beyond Borders Family Graduation Program during Haiti's ongoing political crisis, providing them with real stability in a time of profound challenge.
Before the 160 families in this current cohort joined the Family Graduation Program, their lives were punctuated with frequent episodes of misery and despair.
But now -- even as the political crisis sends prices in their local market skyrocketing and makes it that much harder to earn a living -- families are persevering in the gains they've made, thanks to your support.
That's because your generosity is providing them with the skills and resources they need to earn a dignified living in normal times and to manage the complexities of a crisis like this.
One of the ways that your support does this is through the creation of village savings and loans. In normal times, they provide access to credit to fuel economic growth, and in times of crisis they serve as a source of emergency funds for families in need.
You can read more about how your support is empowering families in both good times and bad here: https://beyondborders.net/our-work/overcoming-poverty/
Thank You Again!
Your generosity and your solidarity is empowering families to overcome extreme poverty, gain financial independence, and transform their lives for good.
If you have any questions about what you read here, please contact Brian Stevens, Engagement Director, at (305) 450-2561 or b.stevens@beyondborders.net.
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By Brian Stevens | Engagement Director
By Brian Stevens | Engagement Director
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